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arXiv:2503.13664 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Dynamics of defects and interfaces for interacting quantum hard disks

Fabian Ballar Trigueros, Vighnesh Dattatraya Naik, Markus Heyl

Published Dec 16, 2025• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Defects and interfaces are essential to understand the properties of matter. However, studying their dynamics in the quantum regime remains a challenge in particular concerning the regime of two spatial dimensions. Recently, it has been shown that a quantum counterpart of the hard-disk problem on a lattice yields defects and interfaces, which are stable just due to quantum effects while they delocalize and dissolve in an analogous classical stochastic process. Here, we study in more detail the properties of defects and interfaces in this quantum hard-disk problem with a particular emphasis on the stability of these quantum effects upon including perturbations. Specifically, we introduce short-range soft-core interactions between the hard disks. From both analytical arguments and numerical simulations we find that large classes of defects and interfaces remain stable even under such perturbations suggesting that the quantum nature of the dynamics exhibits a large range of robustness. Our findings demonstrate the stability and non-classical behavior of quantum interface dynamics, offering insights into the dynamics of two-dimensional quantum matter and establishing the quantum hard-disk model as a platform for studying unconventional constrained quantum dynamics.

DOI
10.1103/gnqx-fh59

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Defects and interfaces are essential to understand the properties of matter. However, studying their dynamics in the quantum regime remains a challenge in particular concerning the regime of two spatial dimensions. Recently, it has been shown that a quantum counterpart of the hard-disk problem on a lattice yields defects and interfaces, which are stable just due to quantum effects while they delocalize and dissolve in an analogous classical stochastic process. Here, we study in more detail the properties of defects and interfaces in this quantum hard-disk problem with a particular emphasis on the stability of these quantum effects upon including perturbations. Specifically, we introduce short-range soft-core interactions between the hard disks. From both analytical arguments and numerical simulations we find that large classes of defects and interfaces remain stable even under such perturbations suggesting that the quantum nature of the dynamics exhibits a large range of robustness. Our findings demonstrate the stability and non-classical behavior of quantum interface dynamics, offering insights into the dynamics of two-dimensional quantum matter and establishing the quantum hard-disk model as a platform for studying unconventional constrained quantum dynamics.
The quantum walk of two hard-core bosons in one-dimensional lattice under the effect of long-range inter-particle interaction is studied in detail. We also simulate the influence of an isolated defect that may exist in the lattice on the quantum walk of two particles by adding an additional potential energy to a certain lattice site. Using exact diagonalization method, the continuous-time quantum walk is directly simulated. The numerical simulations show that the range of interaction (long-range or short-range), the strength of the inter-particle interaction, the initial state of the two particles and the presence of the isolated defect have great influences on the quantum walk. Under the effect of strong long-range interaction, the particles initially located on the non-adjacent lattice sites have a co-walking behavior, while under the short-range interactions (nearest-neighbor interactions) only two particles initially located on the neighboring lattice sites can exhibit co-walking. After introducing the isolated defect into the system with strong interaction, two particles residing on the same side of the isolated defect keep co-walking, while two particles located on either sides of the isolated defect or one particle located on the isolated defect and the other particle staying on the side of the isolated defect, the two particles keep stationary or co-walking near the defect, displaying the characteristics of localization. By using the second-order perturbation theory of degenerate quantum system, a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the above numerical results is given. The theoretical analysis reveals the underlying physical law of quantum walks of two particles in one-dimensional lattice under the effects of strong long-range interaction and isolated defect in the lattice.
In a recent paper [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 120601 (2022)], we have shown that the dynamics of interfaces, in the symmetry-broken phase of the two-dimensional ferromagnetic quantum Ising model, displays a robust form of ergodicity breaking. In this paper, we elaborate more on the issue. First, we discuss two classes of initial states on the square lattice, the dynamics of which is driven by complementary terms in the effective Hamiltonian and may be solved exactly: (a) Strips of consecutive neighboring spins aligned in the opposite direction of the surrounding spins and (b) a large class of initial states, characterized by the presence of a well-defined ``smooth'' interface separating two infinitely extended regions with oppositely aligned spins. The evolution of the latter states can be mapped onto that of an effective one-dimensional fermionic chain, which is integrable in the infinite-coupling limit. In this case, deep connections with noteworthy results in mathematics emerge, as well as with similar problems in classical statistical physics. We present a detailed analysis of the evolution of these interfaces both on the lattice and in a suitable continuum limit, including the interface fluctuations and the dynamics of entanglement entropy. Second, we provide analytical and numerical evidence supporting the conclusion that the observed nonergodicity---arising from Stark localization of the effective fermionic excitations---persists away from the infinite-Ising-coupling limit, and we highlight the presence of a timescale $T\ensuremath{\sim}{e}^{cLlnL}$ for the decay of a region of large linear size LLL. The implications of our work for the classic problem of the decay of a false vacuum are also discussed.
The study of non-equilibrium behaviors of quantum matter is one of the research directions at the frontiers of condensed matter physics and, in general, of theoretical and experimental physics. Understanding the mechanisms which prevent many quantum particles from reaching thermal equilibrium can ultimately shed light on the foundations of statistical physics and provide insight into the anomalous long-time collective behaviors observed in experiments. In this thesis, we present new theoretical developments in this direction. In the first part of the thesis we discuss the non-equilibrium dynamics of the two-dimensional quantum Ising model, the prototypical model of magnetism. In particular, we investigate the dynamics of interfaces separating different spin domains. In some regimes, we can provide an exact description of their unitary time evolution, but we also discuss the robustness of our predictions away from the exactly-solvable limit. Moreover, we address the same problem in the presence of disorder and provide a hydrodynamic interpretation of our findings. In the second part of the thesis, we investigate the localization properties of disordered quantum systems. In particular, we develop a renormalization-group picture of the Anderson localization transition in generic geometries. This provides a new framework to understand the phase diagram of such systems and their critical behavior beyond the usual finite-size scaling analysis. We also provide further insights on this topic both by studying resonances and their connection with observables and by employing unsupervised non-parametric learning techniques to probe disordered systems in an experimentally accessible form. The results presented in this thesis constitute a step forward in understanding the non-equilibrium phases and regimes of quantum matter and they pave the way to interesting future developments.
A bstract In this work, we explore an unconventional class of problems in the study of (quantum) critical phenomena, termed “deep boundary criticality”. Traditionally, critical systems are analyzed with two types of perturbations: those uniformly distributed throughout the bulk, which can significantly alter the bulk criticality by triggering a nontrivial bulk renormalization group flow, and those confined to a boundary or subdimensional defect, which affect only the boundary or defect condition. Here, we go beyond this paradigm by studying quantum critical systems with boundary perturbations that decay algebraically (following a power law) into the bulk. By continuously varying the decay exponent, such perturbations can transition between having no effect on the bulk and strongly influencing bulk behavior. We investigate this regime using two prototypical models based on (1+1)D massless Dirac fermions. Through a combination of analytical and numerical approaches, we uncover exotic scaling laws in simple observables and observe qualitative changes in model behavior as the decay exponent varies.
We investigate the dynamics of the quantum Ising model on two-dimensional square lattices up to 16 $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$ 16 spins. In the ordered phase, the model exhibits dynamically constrained dynamics, leading to confinement of elementary excitations and slow thermalization. After demonstrating the signatures of confinement, we probe the dynamics of interfaces in the constrained regime through sudden quenches of product states with domains of opposite magnetization. We find that the nature of excitations can be captured by perturbation theory throughout the confining regime and identify the crossover to the deconfining regime. We systematically explore the effect of the transverse field on the modes propagating along flat interfaces and investigate the crossover from resonant to diffusive melting of a square of flipped spins embedded in a larger lattice.
We formulate a quantum version of the hard-disk problem on lattices, which exhibits a natural realization in systems of Rydberg atoms. We find that quantum hard disks exhibit unique dynamical quantum features. In 1D, the crystal melting process displays ballistic behavior as opposed to classical subdiffusion. For 2D, crystal structures remain intact against most defects, whereas classically they are washed out completely. We link this peculiar quantum behavior to quantum many-body scars. Our study highlights the potential of constrained 2D quantum matter to display unique dynamical behaviors.